Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.

Visiting Writer: Brent Michael Kelley

Brent Michael Kelley is the author of the dark fantasy novels Chuggie and the Desecration of Stagwater and Chuggie and the Bleeding Gateways. Both novels are published by Omnium Gatherum Media. Bram Stoker Award winner Benjamin Kane Ethridge describes Kelley as “not just an interesting fantasy writer, but an altogether wild new breed of scribe.” On the occasion of a book tour and signing in Los Angeles, to celebrate the release of Chuggie and the Bleeding Gateways, Kelley took a few minutes to tell Shock Room about his work.

What are you working on right now?

I’m in the beginning stages of Chuggie and the Prisoner Gods. It’s the third book of the Chuggie series, but by no means will it be the last. I plan to write about Chuggie for a good long time. The first was Chuggie and the Desecration of Stagwater. The second was Chuggie and the Bleeding Gateways. Prisoner Gods will pick up where Bleeding Gateways left off. There’ll be more strange people for Chuggie to meet, more bizarre monsters for him to encounter, and more treachery to get tangled in. We’ll get further into the mystery of the bone dagger he so recently acquired (called the Bleeding Jaws of Glughu). More monsters, more madness, more carnage, more drunken monologues from our dear pal Chuggie. I’m hoping to have that out next spring or summer.

How does it differ from other works in its genre?

I try to stay away from established tropes and established worlds. No elves, dwarves, goblins, vampires, werewolves, or dragons. Chuggie lives on a world called Mag Mell, a world of conjury, risen demons, deadly wildernesses, and primordial forces. He’s the embodiment of Drought, and he’s permanently intoxicated. He’s got devastating power, cloudy judgement, and no place to call home. It’s a lot of fun writing about him.

Then there are the Steel Jacks. They’re alien creatures made of pure energy, and they each dwell inside a metal suit to give them substance. They came through the Tetracardi Rift a couple centuries back, and now they’re stuck on Mag Mell. Steel Jacks contract out their services as law enforcement to city-states, and they are bound to the letter of the Law. Some people think the Steel Jacks have a secret agenda. Their presence lends an element of sci-fi to these dark fantasy adventures. My hope is it’s like nothing you’ve ever read.

Why do you write what you write?

One aspect of it is the personal challenge involved. Writing a novel is a big project. It’d be easy to quit at any moment. Or postpone it. Not everyone can stand to sit in front of a computer (or pen and paper) long enough to put a full, book-length story down. And of the people who can get it all down, not all of them can stand to put in the long hours of editing. I consider myself very lucky. I have an editor, Kate Jonez, who knows her stuff. I also have some readers who read my work and loved it. When somebody I don’t know emails me demanding Chuggie #3, that’s pretty cool. If just one person wanted to read more Chuggie, I’d write it. As it happens, there may be as many as FIVE! To be honest, if nobody else wanted to read it, I’d still write it. I’m pretty interested in seeing what happens next.

How does your writing process work?

Phase 1: Ideation. I collect lots of strange images and take copious notes. If I hear someone say something strange or I think of something cool, I’ll immediately scribble that in my little pocket notebook. Those notes get typed into the computer. I might do character sheets on the folks in the book, too.

Phase 2: Outline. A pretty short phase, really. The outline isn’t ever carved in stone. It’s nice to have some scenes mapped out to begin with, but the outline will go out the window at some point.

Phase 3: Writing. Getting up early is key. So is staying up late. There’s a lot of writing in winter. It’s nice to think about stories while I’m shoveling my driveway. Some really great ideas come from raking, mowing the lawn, and shoveling snow. If I did more of those things, my yard would look great, and I’d have the best stories in all the land! Coffee is my best friend during writing time. Beer, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have my best interests at heart. At some point, my outline becomes useless. I’ll write a bunch more until I’m so lost I need to create a new outline. It, too, will die.

Phase 4: Editing. Always a joy. The editing process is fun and easy. I recommend it to everyone. I send my manuscript to my editor, and she sends back her notes. I go through and address her suggestions (or ignore them because I’M the writer, and it’s MY WAY or the HIGHWAY). I’ll send chapters back to her as I finish them, and around we go again. It’s fun, easy, and FUN!

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.